The tension between Tottenham Hotspur and Antonio Conte could take a new turn if they lose to Manchester City, with one pundit foreseeing it as the “last straw” before he considers a move to Manchester United.
There has been a sense of discontent from Tottenham’s new boss in recent weeks. He gave an interview to the Italian media, which some interpreted as being questioning of the club’s January transfer activity.
Conte has since spoken out to deny any dissatisfaction with the club. Indeed, he believes his comments were lost in translation somewhat.
Still, the focus will be on how long Tottenham can keep him happy when Conte has a track record of not staying in one job for too long.
Things do not get any easier for the Italian, who has overseen three consecutive Premier League defeats, when Spurs visit Manchester City on Saturday. The evening kick-off will be a tricky one for Tottenham.
Man City have won 14 of their last 15 league games and are on course to retain their title. As such, they should be a formidable foe for Tottenham.
There is a risk of a big defeat, in which case Conte could seriously start thinking about walking away from the club – according to former Premier League player Damien Delaney.
The pundit told Off The Ball (via Inside Futbol): “If Spurs get a hiding, which is a real possibility, it could be the last straw, that Conte could come up with another interview and then things get very, very messy at Tottenham between now and the end of the season and this top four bid falls apart.
“Conte is such a volatile character; he owes nobody anything, he wears his emotions firmly on his sleeve and it could get very messy for Spurs.
‘Great fit for Manchester United’
“I genuinely believe that interview is the first shot across the bows for Daniel Levy, that I will not stand for broken promises and I will not hang around here, especially when there is a job in Manchester becoming available in the summer.
“I think Conte is a great fit for Manchester United, maybe not long term, but they need somebody to arrest the slide and grab that football club, top to bottom, by the scruff of the neck.”
Conte is under contract with Tottenham until the end of next season. However, the Man Utd job will be available this summer after the end of Ralf Rangnick’s interim spell.
The frontrunners for the United role appear to be Mauricio Pochettino and Erik Ten Hag. But Conte has sometimes been considered as a suitable candidate at Old Trafford.
For now, it is simply speculation from Delaney’s part that he could end up in Manchester. However, all eyes will be on how the Tottenham situation unfolds in the coming months.
Mauricio Pochettino or Erik Ten Hag? Which coach looks the best option for Manchester United?
Second pundit doubts Conte would quit
Conte could be walking into a similar situation if he was to leave Tottenham for Man Utd, though.
Another ex-Premier League player turned pundit, Gabriel Agbonlahor, has also been assessing the situation. He thinks Tottenham and Man Utd are in comparable situations.
According to Agbonlahor, Conte is likely to wait until the summer before deciding his future.
“Sometimes managers can only do a certain amount,” Agbonlahor told Football Insider.
“At some point, the players have to take the blame. It’s similar at Manchester United, the players at Spurs and Manchester United are so inconsistent, they deserve the blame, not the manager.
“Conte is doing the best he can with the players available. But it’s typical Spurs with the players, they will bottle it again and miss out on the top four.
“I don’t think he will quit now. He’ll see it through to the summer and see what funds he has available to strengthen the squad.
“He’ll probably want to get rid of a few players and bring some in so he can give it a real good go next season.
“I don’t think he would have taken this job just to walk away so easily. He will know walking away is not a good sign, it doesn’t look good on your record.”
That said, Conte’s average time in a management job is just 1.12 years (as per Transfermarkt). Tottenham will be hoping he reaches at least that point with them still.
READ MORE: Guardiola flips expectations around with Tottenham warning; shares Conte thoughts
The post Conte could be approaching ‘last straw’ with Tottenham, as more appealing job recommended appeared first on TEAMtalk.
from TEAMtalk https://ift.tt/3Uh62qj
via IFTTT